By Staff Sgt. Mike C. Norris
4th AAB, 1AD, Public Affairs

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE TAJI, Iraq — Contingency Operating Base Taji is split into two sides. On one side there are U.S. forces, who are preparing to transition their partnership with Iraq, to the U.S. State Department. On the other side is a thriving Iraqi army base filled with the commotion of Iraqi soldiers busy at work.

As part of the transition U.S. forces have been working with civilian contractors to advise the Iraqis in the training of several technical aspects such as, logistics, weapons repair, vehicle maintenance, and technical systems used for training.

The contractors rely on U.S. forces to provide security so they can complete their task.

This mission was given to the soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

Everyday, soldiers of HHC, 4th BSTB provide security for contractors who work on the IA side of COS Taji.

“We facilitate movement for the contractors and ensure their safety,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Craig, the sergeant of the guard with HHC, 4th BSTB.

As the sergeant of the guard, Craig visits the various sites where his soldiers work each day, and coordinates with the contractors to provide the security they need.

“You have to stay flexible,” said Craig. “They might not need anyone in the morning, but later that day they might need everyone we have.”

To ensure that every site is safe, the soldiers stay with the contractors until they return to the U.S. side of COS Taji each day.

“The people really getting the job done are the non-commissioned officers on the sites,” said Craig. “They are doing a really great job I couldn’t ask for more.”

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